A Griffith University agricultural scientist is helping Queensland coffee growers leap a major industry hurdle, propelling Australian coffee from commodity-grade to ‘specialty coffee’ status and boosting coffee crop valuation.
Driven by a collaborative project with industry partners under the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland initiative, the innovation marks a turning point for Australian coffee growers, who are now able to take a front seat in a market historically dominated by roasters and importers.
Led by Research Fellow Dr Fawad Ali from Griffith’s School of Environment and Science, the project – currently operating with growers from Tropical North Queensland’s Tablelands region – has delivered a series of innovations for implementation at a commercial scale in future which are empowering local coffee growers to command premium prices previously reserved for international competitors.
“The industry has what’s known as the ‘coffee cupping score’, which is based on flavour, aroma and aftertaste, and goes from 0 to 100,” Dr Ali said.
“Only coffees scoring 80 points or above get the ‘specialty coffee’ badge of honour.
“Through our novel fermentation techniques and optimised nitrogen inputs, we have established laboratory-based factual evidence for achieving a cupping score of more than 80, up from just 73.
“This will elevate their coffee crops from commodity status to ‘specialty coffee’ status and now allows Queensland coffee growers to command significantly higher prices in premium markets.”
Dr Fawad Ali
Dr Ali is leading the three-year project on the ground with Tablelands coffee growers for the past year, and among its other initial achievements are:
- Developing 10 novel hybrid coffee varieties tailored to Queensland’s unique agro-climatic conditions
- Improving quality to broaden the market avenue for Australian coffee, allowing farmers to brand their coffee as ‘Queensland-produced’ and ‘Queensland-branded’
- Establishing the first on-site coffee lab at the farm gate (Murat Farms), which handles processing, roasting, grading, and cupping, bringing the full value chain to growers
- Improving nutrient management using optimal nitrogen application, which has not only boosted flavour profiles to ‘specialty coffee’ status but also cut resource usage by 35–50%
- This includes a comparable reduction in methane emissions, highlighting a win-win in cost-efficiency and sustainability
“This project will create opportunities for the implementation of laboratory-based prototype models on a commercial scale through future funds,” Dr Ali said
With a staggering 85% of Australia’s coffee produced in Tropical North Queensland in the Tablelands region, Dr Ali said the scientific innovations and the passionate coffee-growing community had the potential to transform the Australian market.
Elsewhere, climate change is impacting the coffee production and crop value in major coffee-producing regions, including Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
“Coffee growers would have the potential to influence the market in liaison with high-end quality roasters,” he said.
“Our coffee farmers are entering a new era to boost the area of production through increased plant numbers, where their product quality earns rightful recognition and premium returns.
“We’re no longer asking people to taste our coffee – they’re coming to us, which is a game-changing moment for Australian agriculture.”
Backed by key industry partners, the initiative represents a unified effort across growers, researchers, and roasters, including sensory science experts.
The $718,000 project, titled ‘Invigorating the coffee industry in Tropical North Queensland’ will wrap up in 2027 with additional outcomes and recommendations to follow.
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Fawad ALI
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